1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cleaning implements and tools and, more particularly, to an apparatus to hold tools when using an extension pole.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Window cleaners and other professionals, such as painters, frequently must perform their work where the surface to be treated is considerably out of their reach and where ladders cannot be used efficiently. Typically, a window cleaner will use a cleaning tool to first wet the surface of the window and loosen any dirt or debris thereon. This tool may consist of a support bar mounted on a handle to which a removable cloth or absorbent cover is secured. A squeegee is then used to wipe the window dry by applying the blade edge of the squeegee to the wet surface and drawing the blade under pressure at an angle along that surface, removing the moisture behind it. This use of the wetting/cleaning tool and the squeegee is usually alternated for each window. When the windows are located several stories high, the squeegee and cleaning tool can only be used without an extension ladder by mounting them on an extension pole, which is typically a lightweight aluminum or plastic pole with telescoping sections which can be extended several stories above the ground. Although many squeegees and related cleaning implements are designed to fit onto the end of extension poles, the process of using these implements with an extension pole is awkward and time consuming since either the extension pole must be brought down to the cleaner every time the tool is alternated or two extension poles must be used simultaneously.
Furthermore, the cleaning process is much more difficult at an elevation because the squeegee and other cleaning tools need to be applied with pressure at an angle to the surface in order to be effective, and to achieve the proper angle and pressure, a window cleaner may have to position himself with the lower end of the extension pole some distance from the structure. This can be dangerous if it requires the window cleaner to step away from the building into traffic or if hilly terrain or landscaping do not allow sufficient distance to work. Greenhouse windows are also frequently difficult to reach from conventional positions. Other architectural detailing such as projecting window sills also make it difficult or impossible to properly clean the window from top to bottom because the sills interfere with the full stroke of the squeegee. In some situations the windows cannot be properly cleaned at all with extension poles and tools currently available for use.
Squeegees and cleaning tools are available with handles which swivel relative to the squeegee blade or to the support bar for the cleaning material, for example, those shown in U.S. Design Patent Nos. 296,946 and 298,072. The swivel-handled feature of both of these tools, which allows the squeegee user to rotate the squeegee blade relative to the handle, allows the user to develop a cleaning technique in which, the squeegee or cleaning tool is smoothly and quickly moved across the surface of the window in horizontal and vertical strokes without being removed from the surface. Although these tools provide more versatility in cleaning windows several stories high, such swivel-handled devices only permit rotation in the plane of the handle and do not rotate relative to their up and down contact with the surface of the window.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a device which allows the squeegee and cleaning tool to be mounted,.on the same pole so that one need not be removed from the pole in order to alternate use with the other. There has also been a need for a device which makes it possible to use a squeegee or a cleaning tool with the proper angle when such implement is used on an extension pole at a considerable distance from the window cleaner's reach. Although one prior art device, illustrated in FIG. 7, shows a cleaning tool attached to a squeegee, this cannot be used below overhanging surfaces or in corners, nor can it be used for a full vertical stroke if there is a part of the frame or other obstruction below the window, as seen in FIG. 8.
The present invention provides an apparatus which can be used to hold two tools at the end of an extension pole at the same time so that it is not necessary to retract the extension pole to change the tool during the course of the cleaning procedure. This invention also allows the user to easily achieve the proper angle with window cleaning tools relative to the window surface so that greenhouse windows and windows with projecting sills and below overhangs can be cleaned thoroughly and relatively easily, without the need for the window cleaner to be distanced so far from the structure. This invention also makes it possible to clean windows or reach surfaces more than two stories high from a starting position which is closer to the building, thereby reducing risk from traffic and terrain and making it possible to clean some windows which could not previously be cleaned well at all by an individual window washer. Thus, the present invention provides an unique solution to the problems of window washers and provides more versatile use of window washing tools at the ends of extension poles. The present invention can also be adapted to the tools of other professionals, such as painters, who also, need to be able to thoroughly reach surfaces in high or awkward locations.